FET / IVF August 2023

[KG1244]

I’m due to start my second round of FET in August so thought I would set up this group for some treatment buddies ❤️

@GCS34 no meds as on a natural cycle although I do take ovitrelle day before and after transfer as it helps improve pregnancy rates. They also said if I get a positive test they will give me progesterone to take because of the early miscarriages.

I had 24 eggs collected so not quite as many as you probably! I think it is quite random how people respond as my first cycle I only had 14 eggs but I still developed OHSS (not as badly). My AMH is quite high though and BMI low so it may not help! Fingers crossed you don’t develop anything and can do a fresh 🤞

I’m a farm vet so job can be quite hard work sometimes so really not great for going through fertility treatments! It’s just over 2 months since my freeze-all now 😊

@Ellenn Oh even better that you don't have to take any meds! I bet that will do your stomach some good (and mind!) Really sorry you had a misscarriage. Is that the closest you have been? Really sorry and sorry for the personal questions.

Oh nice that's still a good whack though!! I don't think we'll collect 37 though - a lot of those are under-size. Were all 24 collected or did you have some left behind that weren't ready? My AMH is super high too - 67pmol. What is yours? I am also low BMI and slim, so I imagine I won't be too far behind you in how I get on the next few days. I am on a very low dose though so maybe that's my savings grace.

Oh wow! One of my besties is a vet and yes I imagine it will be very hard! Also, you're not allowed to be around cows if I am right? My friends have a farm and I was meant to be going but they've told me i'm not allowed haha! That's not too long - is that due to the wait times or is that because of how rough you felt?

@Loulaki blimey that is high 😅You will defo get some results off that amount! I'm on half of that! But I also have PCOS and AMH of 67+ so I don't think my ovaries need much pushing 😆Aside from your low levels of AMH, is everything else your side okay? Are you below 6 AMH wise?

@GCS34 yeh first transfer miscarried at 5 weeks so technically a biochemical and then my next was at 6.5 wks after a heartbeat scan 😢 no it’s ok I don’t mind, I think sometimes although not nice it’s good for others to hear stories as I was really not prepared for miscarriage and didn’t realise how common it was (how naive was I!)

yeh I think on scan I had more than 24 (can’t quite remember maybe 27 >12mm and then small things) my AMH is 78 so quite similar!

if you are pregnant you aren’t supposed to be around sheep due to lamb and there are certain drugs/dangers but I find it best not to overthink as I enjoy my job and don’t want to make myself crazy 🤣

I'm really sorry @Ellenn 😥That's really rough, and I don't think even if you are aware of how high miscarriage risks are, I don't think it prepares you as you just don't think like that. It's really sad you had a second one second time! Were those 2 off the first round I assume? And this is round 2? Finger crossed this time is yours - 3rd time lucky! ❤Plus, I guess the slight bonus (if you can even call it that!) is that you have a few on ice, so you will have your baby in this round I'm 100% sure!

Sounds like we have very similar bodies! My BMI is 20 I think, which is pretty rare for PCOS as weight is one of the biggest factors, so fortunately I don't have the hormone issues. Yeah I don't blame you not over thinking it! I don't think that helps with the 'relax' mindset either - ignorance is bliss!

Hey all, sorry for going a bit MIA for a couple of weeks. I’m hopefully starting medicated FET at the beginning of next month. Was just wondering, for any of you that have done medicated FET before, is it like the massive trigger shot needle? I would just like to be prepared 😂

Also, just to share (in case it’s helpful), someone in another group shared this website set up by Sir Robert Winston where he answers lots of questions on fertility and IVF. It has a lot of really helpful information - some is a bit blunt so bare that in mind.

https://genesisresearchtrust.com/askrobert/questions-and-answers/

I felt especially comforted by his advice on average embryos

@KG1244 I have had a medicated FET a couple of times, mine just involved prognova (estrogen) tablets 3x a day, and then once my lining was thick enough around day 9/10, I would start cyclogest pessaries 2x a day 5 days before the transfer and continue them both, on the second round they added a lubion injection, so it was all quick and pretty straight forward compared to a fresh! Im not sure if there is different protocols with the medicated though.

@LavenderJoy thanks for this! Is the lubion injection into your tummy or bum/thigh?

You are correct @GCS34 , my AMH is at 5.5 so low for my age. That plus I am close to 30 on BMI. So I imagine this explains the higher dose. Even so I think our dr thought we would only get maybe 3 eggs. So I am not super hopeful that it will work first time.

Our issue was actually MF. When we were initially going to be referred via NHS I had been tested and my AMH was normal, but NHS was taking forever so we decided to go private. I had my tests repeated and in the space of just under a year my AMH had dropped. So I was quite annoyed as I felt that I should have been a) more proactive myself in terms of understanding how AMH works (hence the prolific posting on this board since kicking off our private treatment) and b) annoyed that we missed what would have been a good (or at least better) window of opportunity. But anyway, we are where we are. I cannot change that but I have been telling my close friends about my experience cause I think we are not getting educating in this and it is super important. I mean the Economist had IVF on their cover this week! So fertility is a major issue. Anyway, I am rambling now :)

@Ellenn really sorry to hear about your previous transfers. But thank you for sharing. Personally, I find a lot of comfort in seeing that people's journeys are not always linear and just being mindful of the different outcomes. There are setbacks and you have to try again and keep hoping and working at it. Of course it is always lovely to hear about those that work out amazingly and it is inspiring and reassuring but I also don't want to have unrealistic expectations about our chances. So sharing the not so good stuff is just as important. I am actually following this same sex couple of Norway who are now pregnant. They did not have any fertility issues etc and it still took them 3 tries to get pregnant so it is not uncommon and there is usually a happy ending.

Thank you @KG1244 I found his answer to the caffeine question really reassuring. Not planning on going coffee crazy over the next few weeks but at least I know I can keep drinking my two cups a day :)

Hi all. Hope it’s ok to join. I was in the July group but as my transfer will be in august I thought this group was better for me. I’m on my first round of IVF, day 4 of stims 😊

Good evening again to everyone - took my first stimulation injection today. My husband gave it to me. Surprisingly it wasn't as scary as it was in my head ☺️☺️ So anyone going for it the first time, should know this! (Or maybe my husband effed it big time and didn't inject properly!! My eyes were closed tbh) Now let's see what effects I see!

@KG1244 I did them in my stomach, they did sting and briuse a little, but i found that the further away from the belly button the better.

Thanks for the weblink, I agree there is some great info on there from dr winston , going to make sure I do some bedtime reading this week.

Af arrived this afternoon, so I will start my first day of stims Thursday eek!

😱 I'm never going to keep up with this thread 😂 What is the trick? How are people managing?
I'm excited to see how people are getting on and I'll be absolutely hopeless at doing more than that 🤦 the closer I get to IVF, the more likely I feel I am to put my car keys in the fridge and coffee on my cereal.
It is really nice to be going through things at the same time as others. I'm hoping my period starts a week tomorrow or week Thursday. PCOS means that it might not so I can never get too excited. I'm also trying to fully accept it'll likely be a freeze all (but my heart isn't on board - I want a fresh cycle regardless of much I rationalise a freeze all).

Well done everyone who is starting injections for the first time! 👏💪 I've got a pen for gonal-f which I'm not worried about but scary serious looking things for fyremadel.

@GCS34 yeh totally true! I’m just slightly more wary/realistic about everything now and I definitely won’t be excited about a positive test until further on I think unfortunately.. yes that’s right this is my 3rd transfer now (but first one of my second cycle of that makes sense?) I’m going with third time lucky too. We do seem pretty similar so hopefully you will get some lovely embryos soon!!

@Loulaki thanks for your message. It definitely is a journey isn’t it that you wish you didn’t have to take! Even perfect embryos don’t always equal a baby in the end. It’s so frustrating how long the NHS takes isn’t it 😢 plus after waiting so long anyway to conceive it sometimes feels like it’s never ending! Have you just started stimulation? Also I’m the same as you I’ve decided to stick with having my morning coffee. For my last transfers I was super strict and didn’t have any and it made me so grumpy 🤣 also it seems like sometimes having fewer eggs doesn’t necessary mean much fewer embryos so I hope this is the case for you 🤞

@IVF23 hey 👋 how are you feeling so far?

@LavenderJoy exciting times! It’s so nice to know you have got a plan, I hope it all goes smoothly!

also thanks for the lubion tips as I may end up taking this if our transfer results in a positive result!

hi everyone, it has been a crazy busy week. So I started stim on day 2 of my period 7/11, 300units of folistim and 150 units of menopur for about 4 days then on day 6-8 folistim + menopur + ganirelix, skip day 9, then day 10 earlier morning did the trigger, day 12 iui. Day 2 after iui I had a little pink (sorry tmi) with mild cramps, then nothing on day 3, 4, but my boobies felt really sore and it hurts when I just putting a sports bra and some pulling and stretching like sensation on my lower abdominal area. Today is day 5, I've been feeling these cramps on my lower abdominal area since the afternoon. The breast tenderness may be due to the high progesterone from the pregnyl (trigger) but not sure about the cramps. I read that it could be implantation cramps but there is no way of knowing. I read in another post that someone had cramps a few days after their iui then cramps again at the end of the tww and end up with BFP. I hope this is the case for me. Fingers crossed

Also, I noticed the spots where I did the injections start to show looking a little pinkish red and it itches now after almost a week later.

I've got my fingers crossed for you @Peonies19!

I had my first scan today - 37 follicles developing, 14 of which are already a decent size. I had my first dose of cetrotide in the clinic, which stings more than the Gonal-F and seems much more serious because you need to mix it up first. But it was fine and I'm relieved I responded to the medication! (No reason to think I wouldn't other than paranoia).

@Loulaki Yeah that makes sense. How are you feeling for Friday? Are you nervous / excited? I think it's easy to blame ourselves for any of this, but the reality is, even if you did know your AMH was low and you knew everything there was to know about it, you would still be where you are today, just perhaps a little more anxious. Sometimes not knowing is best for some things. Where are you based - do you know how many rounds you get from the NHS? I assume you're still keeping that going in the background, and self funding until it clears? If it's any reassurance, It took us 1-year from the first drs appointment mentioning something wasn't right, to getting the funding.

I agree with the visibility of fertility still being such a taboo, and it's frustrating as 15% of people have to have it now, which is a considerable amount of people! We are taught from such a young age how to do everything to prevent pregnancy, that we're so naive when we come to trying for a baby as we are scare mongered from school that one missed pill and you're pregnant! If only hey!

@Ellenn It's sad isn't it, that we can't enjoy the first trimester at all due to the anxiety of 'what if's. I'm really sad you had 2 back to back - that is really bloody shit and unfair. But I guess everything with FT is unfair when it's not like it's anyone's fault! But positive vibes for lucky number 3 ❤The good thing is this round, you have 6 potential shots at this, and hopefully number 1 works, and you've future proofed your family a little.
IAnd that's it - a 5AA could fail, yet a 5CC could be fine. Yeah the NHS wait is shocking - I feel for everyone in Scotland too a it's exacerbated there compared to everywhere else.

Just out my scan - 39 now 😅I don't know where they keep cropping up from! I feel slightly vindicated now about the bloat! We have 16 currently at collection size, but we have another 3 days to go. 😮Largest are 16mm but there's a few of them, and the rest are 15s, 14s, 12s and 10/11s. They are estimating around 20-25 for collection which is pencilled in for Monday. I'm starting estrogen tabs now too as my lining has stopped thickening. 😲All the drugs!

Thank you @EmmaLHG ! I should add that this was suppose be my first IVF cycle but the growth of my follicles weren't really in sync with each with each other with 2 growing a lot faster than the others so my doctor decided to convert the IVF cycle to a iui cycle instead. How are you doing? where are you in your cycle?

@EmmaLHG that's a lot of follies! sending you lots of love and best wishes! <3 Hang in there! I know the injections isn't fun. The menopur injection burn when I did mines. I'm praying and hoping that I don't have to do this again. I started to develop a delayed reaction on the injection sites and it itches.

Kudos to all the ladies that's going through this journey over and over again. It is very stressful on so many levels. I don't know how you do it but reading all of your experiences here gives me a lot of hope that we can all be mommies one day. We are stronger and resilient than we think. Sending everyone of you lots of love and best wishes on this journey together. <333

@EmmaLHG Hey! Welcome to the crowded club! 😅That's great news that you're developing on track! How many days have you been stimming for? I find the Cetrotide sting loads too. My leg really hurts for a good 30 mins after.

I had my day 9 scan today, and I have 39, with 16 at collection size already. we have another 3 days of stimming left, so they're estimating 25ish for collection Monday. Currently no signs of OHSS which they've been watching me like a hawk for! How are you feeling? I'm really bloated! My lining's growth has stunted a little at 5.5 so they're thinking poss a FA and adding in Estrogen. In again Friday for my next so we'll see! How are you getting on and have they given you an estimation yet?

@Peonies19 @GCS34 Only three days so far! I think the doctors are a bit worried about OHSS risk - I just got a call to say my oestrogen is very high and this will probably need to be a freeze-all cycle. Which I get, and obviously I don't want OHSS, but there's a tiny bit of me that thinks it would be worth it if it gets me a baby sooner! No idea on collection dates yet, but I have scans on Friday and Monday so maybe they will give an estimate then. How about you @GCS34?

@Peonies19 how was the IUI? Was it relaitvely quick and painless? I was meant to have IUI last cycle but the timing didn't work out (my husband was travelling for work). As this month is really quiet in my work we skipped straight to IVF so I could do the difficult bit without needing to juggle things with the office quite so much.

@GCS34 I've just read your message properly and seen your collection is Monday - good luck! Let us know how it goes afterwards. Are you going to be the first on this group to do it?